Herbert earhart



(No Model.)

H. EARHART. DRY SEPARTOR AND AMALGAMATORL.

Patented May 27, 1884.

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N. PETERS. Phnm-lmwgnpmr, wnlhington. D. C.

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HERBERT EARI-IART, OF SANTA MARIA, ASSIGNOR OF TVO-THIRDS TO H. D.LIVINGSTON AND JOSEPH KAISER, BOTI-I OF SAN FRANCISCO, (UAL.

DRY SEPARTOR AND WLGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. `29g-,211, dated May27, 1884.

Application filed February 21, 1884. (No model.) A

.To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT Eliminer, of Santa Maria, county of SantaBarbara, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in DrySeparators and Amalgamators; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the separation of gold andheavy metallic substances from the lighter sands with which they may bemixed by means of a blast of air, and the subsequent amalgamation of thevaluable metal thus separated, the whole being accomplished by means ofsuitable mechanism,the details of which will be more fully explained 'byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sideview of my concentrator. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig.3 is a transverse section of the plate or table.

A is a frame or casing similar in appearance to that used on an ordinaryfanning-mill, and B is a fan-case located at one en d,with an openingthrough which a blast of air from the fan C may pass into the body ofthe machine.

Upon the top of the casing is a V-shaped trough or hopper, D, whichextends across the full width ofthe machine, and has a slot at thebottom,with a slidinggate, E, by which the'opening is regulated and theamount of feed controlled. From this feed-opening the sand orgold-bearing material passes between two rollers, F F, one of which hasa drivingpulley upon its outer end, and turns in stationaryjournal-boxes, while the other has its journal-boxes arranged to slidein horizontal guides, and has springs behind them, so that the roller Fmay move back when large or hard pieces pass between them. These rollersare designed to break up and separate any masses which may be lightlycemented together, so as to liberate particles of gold which may beentangled with them. From these rollers the material is delivered upon ascreen or sieve, Gr, -which has a reciprocating and an up-and-downmotion given to it by means of eccentrics H. The heavier coarse gravelor material is discharged over the outer or rear end of the sieve, andthe iiner particles fall through lupon an inclined amalgamated plate ortable, I, the front end oi' which is. the lowest. This plate haschannels J across it to contain mercury, in which the gold will fall andbe amalgamated. The remaining material falls over the front of thisplate I, and through the air-blast from the fan, which blows the finerdust out through the rear end of the machine. The remaining materialfalls vupon an amalgamated plate, K, which slopes slightly downwardtoward the rear, and is given a reciprocating shaking motion by means ofeccentrics L upon a shaft beneath its rear end. This plate y or tablehas channels M formed across it, and iilled with mercury, for thepurpose oi retaining and amalgamating any gold which may pass, while thewaste is discharged over the rear end. Both the plates or tables I and Khave flanges inclining upward and outward from their sides, to preventthe over flow of the material in this direction.

o N is a wind-board, which lies between the 7 upper and loweramalgamating-tables, and which may be adjusted to give strength anddirection to the blast.

Above and below the blast-opening from the fan-case are direction-boardsO l?. The upper one is the broadest and inclines downward, so that sandfalling from the upper amalgamating-table upon it will be directed offupon the lower table. Both these boards are adjustable to alter andcontrol the direction of the airblast, and are held in place bythumb-screws passing through slots Q in the sides of the case A Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for separating gold from sand or earthy material,consisting of a sieve or screen` upon which the material is distributedand agitated, two or more inclined shaking-tables situated one below theother beneath the screen, and so placed that the uppermost onedischarges upon the one next below, said tables havingmercury-containing troughs or channels extending across their surfaces,in combination with a fan or air-blast apparatus, by which air issupplied to separate the dust from the gold, substantially as hereindescribed.

2. An apparatus for separating gold from sand or earthy material,consisting of a series of inclined superposed tables with transversetroughs for mercury, a screen upon Which the material is irst delivered,and a fan or blast apparatus, in combination With a feed-hopper With anextended transverse outlet and regulatinggate, and self-adj ustingrollers, between which the material l may pass before falling upon thescreen, substantially as herein described.

3. An apparatus for separating gold from sand or earthy material,consisting of the inclined amalgamating-surfaces, screen, andfeed-hopper, arranged with relation to each 15 other as shown, incombination with a fan or l blast apparatus, the Wind-board N, -and thead- HERBERT EARI-IART. Vitnesses GEO. H. STRONG, H. C. LEE.

